Car stake



, March 3, 1931.

F. A. LORENZ, JR

CAR STAKE Filed Nov. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet lr March 3, 1931. F. A.'| oRENz, JR 1,794,697

` CAR STAKE Filed Nov. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u muuu "n ,HI

Patented Mar. 1931 FREDERICK if.` LORENZ, JE.; or CHICAGC', ILLiNoIslnssIGNoR lfro A'MEECAN STEEL roi'iii-EnnisV or CHICAGO, rumors, yA.,Co1a1 omifr1o1v or NEW 'JERSEY` I applicatie-E inea November 211928. seal No.y 31637234. f

This Vinvention'relates `to vrailway devices and appliancesvand is illustrated 'herein as embodied in a reenforcing member for use inY illustrated embodiment ofthe invention the connection with gondola cars and" cars 'of other similartypes. l Y

A gondola car comprises a vboXlike structure having anopen top and an underframe for-supporting land bracing the bottom and the'sidewalls of the lbody ofthe car. rllhe under frame is composed mainly of a plus rality of longitudinally extending sills arranged centrally kof the car'bo'ttom74 and a plurality of side sills disposed symmetrically with respectr tok the center sills and spaced apart' from one another by a distance which represents the width of thecar.` Bearing members are arranged toextend laterally from the center sills to the side sills t0 support thefloorng ofthe car and iinaddition it is customary to provide reenforcing members along the outsideoff-the car to hold in .place the sideboarding Aofl'th'e walls.

Heretofore', the Ybearing members,l known as `cross bearers, have :been 1n the form of v metallic plates which 'extend from one ofthe centersills outwardly tooneof thel side sills and'terminate at theirvopposite. endsin flanges which are adapted to-b'efsecure'd, by means of y.

bolts, to .the .side and center sills respectively.

The reenforicin'g members which ran-ge alongvk the outside ofthe car body-arci known as side stakes and ihave heretoforecomprised elongated members that are riveted attheir lower extremities to the sidesills of. thegondola car,y

that are riveted to the side sills.A Thu-s, it will lbe seen that in railway carv constrnctionhere'- tofore practiced the: cross -bearers, and side stakes have comprisedv .separate and distinct n 40 members independently secured to the under frame of the car. i

With theV foregoing considerations in view,

an important obj ect ofi-the-.present invention consists in# simplifying the construction-)of 45 railway carsof the gondola type and other similar types through theprovisionV ofca novel or, in flat` cars, areins'ertedin stake pockets' the recited object consists in the provisionof l a unitary structural unit comprising both a cross1 bearer and a side stake. Thus, inthe outer extremity of the cross bearer insteadof terminating at the sidesill'is extended vertically in a direction approximately at Vright angles to the cross bearer to form .aside stake which engages and strengthens the sideboard ing of the car. In-the Vuse-of such aV device it* may be inserted in the under frame of the car as a unit thereby bringing aboutfay marked degree of simplification in the construction of the cars.y Y f Still another 'object ofthe invention coni sists inthe provision of 'a novel means'l'for vsupporting the flooring and sideboarding' of a car that is simple in design and construction but of increased strength and rigidity. There are' many features yof the linvention which contribute to theaccomp'lishmentof this object, one of the most important lof which consists in forming the side stake in# Y tegrally with the cross bearer and Valso inV forming rthe flanges of' the Sidestake and, cross rbearer integrally with the body Vportion of they structure. n-Inthe illustratedembodi` inentfof the invention,V the cross'beare'r and side stake is previded with a" lateralprojec` tion adapted to be connected to a brac'e'which -so l extends diagonallybetw'een adjacent-cross bearer and side stakes and this projection,

as well as the Han-ges and' other 'reenforcing parts, is integrally formed. To theend of v increasing the strength andrigidity 'ofthe member the'sidel` stake. is formed' with| an inner flange,the cross bearer is formed withanupf per'flange, and these two kvflanges are made y continuous bya fillet ange ,"similarly,the car stake is formed with an outerflange, they cross bearer with a lower flange and these 'partsare made* continuous throughthe provision of an intermediatelflfange. l

In a somewhat different aspect lthe'in-ien- Vtion .contemplates formingthe cross bearer and side stake with integral parts orfmeml` bersadapted to be usedin-` connection'with associatedme'chanism. Thus5when used incon-L *n nectionwith railway cars having 'bottom doors, .the cross bearer may beformed with an opening and with a series ot' integral projections which may be employed in connection with mechanism for use in opening and closing doors. Also, the cross bearer may conveniently be provided with laterally projecting shoulders or lugs for engaging and supporting the doors of the car when they are opened.

Still another important object of the invention-consists in the provision of a combined cross bearer and sidestake made infa stake as illustrated and disclosed herein is def signed and constructed in siicha manner that it may be conveniently Vcast bythe employment of casting methods' in use today. This is an extremely important feature ofthe invention inasmuch as the cast metal Vmember is immune to corrosion and other deteriorating eii'ects to which pressed steel members are ordinarily subjected. Y Y l @ther objects, features, and advantages of theinven'tion will becomeV apparentjl'rom a reading of the following specification in the light of the accompanying drawings, 1n which- Y 'Y Y Figure l shows diagrammatically and in side elevation a railway car of the type cornmonly known as a gondola car; Y

Figure 2 is a viewin-elevation oitV a cross bearer and side stake for use in holding the sideboarding of the gondola car in place;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation oi' the cross bearer and side stakeshown in Figure 2 Figure 4 isa bottom plan view or the. cross bearer and side stake shown in VFigures 2 an'd; Y

Figure 5 is atop view of the cross bearer and side stake shown in Figures 2, 3,' and 4;

Figure 6 isaview in section taken along the line 6, 6 et Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a View in sideelevatien of the end of the cross bearer and side stake, taken i along the line 7, 7- of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a view in side elevation similar to FigureB of what may be termed a double ended cross bearer'and side stake;

` Figures 9 and l0 are fragmentary views oi double ended stakes showing various manners in which they may be incorporated inthe car; and y Y n Figure ll isa view in section takenl along the line 1l, 11 of Figure'S. y

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure Vl a railway car of the gondola type which comprises, generally y speaking, a rectangular box-like body composed ot 1 of the car. This construction is shown in Figure 3 in whichV there are provided a plurality of center sills 14 which extend in a lengthwise direction centrally of the car bottom, and a, plurality of side sills l2 (only one of which is shown) ,which are located above and onopposite` sides of the center sills, and are laterally odset therefrom, the distance betweenV the oppositely disposedside sillsrep-` resentingA the width ofthe car.- Theliooring extends-across thetop ot the vcenter sills and single casting. To the end of accomplishingI i, this object the combined cross bearer and side terminates under the lower edge of the side sills'l2 which are illustrated in the form of channel beams. i To theend of holding the sideboarding of the car in place and also :in order to brace the-side walls of the car so they will electively' `resist ,working strains that are imparted thereto, the car is provided with a plurality of spaced, vertically extending side stakes 1G. A suitable'number of side stakes range around the outside of the can and perform the function of ordinary reenforcements, adjacent side stakes Vbeing joined together by vmeans of diagonally extending-braces 18, l2O. It will be observed that the braces 18 along one end or" the car extend in oppositevdirecti'ons to the braces 20 along the opposite end of the car. A frame 22 composed of angle irons extends continuously aroundtlie upper open side ofthecar and is joined by means obolts 42, (Figure 3) to the upper extremities of the carstakeslfl ,v A 1 V f' ln4 the construction ot cars ofv the illustrated type,'it isV necessaryfto provide membersV extending widthwise of the car beneath the `flooring in order suitablyto support the latter, and tothi'send there areip'rovided a number ot frame parts, known ascross bearers, which extend from the center: sills outwardly andjoin the side sills. In accordance with thefpresent invention,` the cross bearers are formed integrally with the side'stakes, this :manner ofconstruction being clearly illustiated'in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive.

Each ,of the combined kcross bearers and side stakes comprises. an approxiniately triangularly shapedbearer plate 24 having a stake member 26 extending upwardlytroni the outer extremity'of'the bearer plate. In orderto strengthen the bearer plate,VV there is provided a marginal flange 28al`ong the lower side of the plate-and an end flange 30 which extends vertically along the-inner end of the plate and is connected to one of thecenter sills 14 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by meansiofbolts or rivets 33 which pass vthrough openings' 33 Aformed lin the liange 30 (Figure 7) Another flange 36 extends along the top of the bearer plate 24' Jfor a portion of the .length of the Vplate and then terminates *in order to allow aA plurality of angle iron members 34 to engage the opposite marginal portions of Vthe'p'latev between theY flange 36 and the flange 30. IThe angle iron T nannte? members 34 are built into the lunder 'frame Vof the carin a suitable manner and; serve t strengthen the bearer platen24-.andto1hold it rigidly in position. Similarly, angle-iron members 32 extend along thewlower edges of the center sills-l4 andare joined to the centersills and to the flange bygmeansof the fasteners 3d.l The purposeofI lproviding theinwardly extending lower flange; portions of the members 32 will be explained hereinf after.y Y, l l

Each ofthe side stakes is I-shapedin crosssection and as shownfcomprises an inner base flange 38^which is of ,uniform widththroughout the major portion fof its length andis formed continuously with theupper flange 36 of the bearer plate 24; The topor outer r flange of thecar Y`stake tapers, or isy of generally increasinggwidt-h in a direction approaching the basen-f the stake, in order that its strongest portion willfbe disposed where the greatest strains occur, and 1s formedcon-l tinuously with the lowerflange -28 of the bearer plate 24. This is an important feature of the invention inasmuch as the continuity of the inner and outer flanges affords ade-V gree of rigidity and strength notfheretofore attained. v

AIn order to facilitate they attachment of the sideboarding to the car stakes the inner base flange 38 ofthe stake isprovided with a seriesof fastener receiving apertures 44 and an analogous provision'is made in the flared out portions k46.0f the base flange which permits the latter element to be rigidly secured to the side sill 12 of the car. A. laterally extending flared portion is provided forV receiving the lower extremity of one of the diagonal braces 18 and is.

formed integrally with the combined cross bearer and side stake at any convenient and suitable point.

The kupperflange 36 of the bearer plate 24 is provided with aplurality of fastener re-l t ceiving apertures 48 which may be utilized gether by means of a crossstrap'52 which extends beneath the centerV sills and issecured, by means of suitable fasteners-both to the center sills, theflower flanges of the oppositely extending bearer plates, kand the lower flanges of the angle iron reenforcing members 32.v .Y

The description so far given relates to the invention generally anddiscloses astructural'member which simplifies considerably".

the-construction ofV cars `of the type'menn ij tioned, and inrobtaining Athis simplification v increases rather than diminishes the strength and `rigidity of the car. The invennection with other railway cars of anysuitable type g. for example, flat cars may be pro-` vided with the improved members, an'ditv is likewise to be understood that box cars might ybe so constructed as Vto employ them.`

.70 Y j tion contemplates the employment ofthe v `unitary cross vbearer and side stak-esv in con-Ml It Vis `also -to be .clearly understood thatl changes and modifications in the designof the members, or the arrangement of Lthe r flanges thereon, or the height or other dimensions of the various parts, lmay be changed from time to time to meet various demands, and it is pointed out that such changes and modications are contemplated andare intended to come within the scope ofthe present invention.

In the'typeof construction shown in the drawings, the members are adapted for use in connection with cars having bottom doors -1 and mechanism lfor operating the doors Accordingly, the cross bearer plate is cut away to form Aan opening 54 which isy surrounded'by a strengthening flange y56 and is provided ,along its lower edge with a pluralityof projections or lugs 58, bothv the flange 56 and the lugs 58 beingform-ed inte` grally with the vbearer plate v24; f The open*L ingandthe projections furnish support for the vdooroperating mechanism and likewise provide means. {for guiding the operating shaft for travel upwardly or downwardly through the opening as the door moves from anopened toa closed position or vice versa. In order tonvsupport the doors when they occupy `:1n-open position outwardly extending projectionsfO vmay conveniently be It willbeseen'that the bearer plate, the

formed o'n the under side of the bearer lplate* 24'toV engagethe side 'edges of the doors.A

ytions are all formed integrally with one anv other' whereby there is` provided aunitary structure that accomplishes all of .the func'- tions andy performancesv that were formerlyy rate] members, and in addition the unitary memberincreases the strength'and rigidity, and consequently thekuseful life ofthe car. fIt-will beappreciated ythat the combined E115 accomplished by theprovision of vtwo sepacross .bearerfandside stake maybe formedy v.

' of'zan'y suitable material and in; any desired ,mannen but there 1s one. consideration kin this connectlon that ycannot be emphasized Y too strongly, namely, ,the unitaryfmember lor structure is formedk in such a manner that itr'nay` conveniently be cast. The importiy ance of providing lcast Vmetallic structures' forrailway uses is a matter of common knowledge andalthough the provision of@ llo v stake member, the flanges,and the projeccombined cross bearer and side stakelis one of the most important aspects of the invention it is not to outshadow the extremely important and desirable ip'eature of forming a f-ombined cross bearer and side stake in such a manner that it may be castby the employment of ordinary casting methods thatV areV ing port-ion 30 that passes beneath the cen-V ter sills of the car. The sine stakes 26 of the double ended member are formed exactly as they are formed in connection with single ended members, as are the openings 54, the rests 60, the flanges 36, etc.; the only outstanding ditlerence betiveen'the designs residing in the double ended character of the member shown in Figure 8 which permits the use of a single member for accomplishing what heretofore has been accomplished by three or four separate members.

ln Figure 9, the double ended member is shown as provided With a central opening 70 Which is formed with crevices 72 for receiving the protruding flange portions of the center sills, it being understood that kin the use of members of the type illustrated in Figure V9, the center sills are threaded t-hrough the openings in the members after the latter have been assembled.

Figure l0 shows va double ended member ivhich may be inserted with ease after theV center sills have been rigidly and permanent- Y ly connected to the Car. rlhus, the flange portions on the center sills are turned inwardly Having thus described my invention, what I claim -as new and desire to secure by United Y tates Leters atent, is:

l. A combined side stake and cross bearer tor gondola cars and the like, comprising a flat bearer plate ot approximately triangular formation, a peripheral flange extending out-- Wardly from' opposite sides of the plate and arranged to extend around a substantial portion ot the periphery of the plate, an upwardly extending stalre formed integrally With the plate, and a plurality of flanges formed upon opposite sides of the stake, said langesrorming with the taire a member I-shaped' in cross-section.

2.,'A gondola car construction comprising,

in combination, a center sill, an plurality of oppositely disposed side sills, and a plurality of integrally combined cross bearers and side stakes extending inopposite directions from some point along the center sill, said cross bearer being rigidly Securedto the center sill Y stakes extending in opposite directions from some point along the center sill, said cross bearer being rigidly secured to the center sill, and beneath said side sills and at their upper extremities -to a reenttorcing member that extends peripherally of the body of the car.

4. A double ended cross bearer and side stake' for railway cars, comprising, in combination, an integral body portion, arranged to extend beneath the car and adapted to span the space between the side sills of the car, and a plurality or end portions -formed of October, 1928. y

' F.A.LORENZ,JR. 

